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We have about a week on Maui before moving on to visit 4 islands in a month.

Our plan so far:

1. Arrive at night, eat a meal, drive up to Haleakala to wait for sunrise while bodies are on NY time.

2. Check into condo rental Maalea right on the water for 5 nights

3. Drive to Paia to stay 2 nights- before and after a full day trip on road to Hana

4. Fly to Big Island

While on Maui, in addition to sunrise on Haleakala and driving the road to Hana, our interests lie in:

SNORKELING: Honolua Bay, Kapalua Bay, north Kanapali, Sheraton Maui black rock, and south of 2 mile marker areas have been recommended by various guidebooks. Which are easy, safe, successful? How is Malu'aka Beach? Should we take a snorkel boat one day and if so, which one to which spot?

WHALE WATCHING: Honokowou is recommended in guide books- best spots??? Best times of day?

WALKS: not heavy hiking up and down with a new knee but good walking spots for a mile or two of great views- Suggestions????

SCENIC DRIVES: Any other suggestions?

Am I missing anything special that we should do while on Maui for the first time?

I am concerned about reports that cars are broken into and plan not to bring anything major along as we travel around the island but what do we do with towels, shoes, small old backpack while snorkeling?

Should we leave the car unlocked or lock it?

Is there a way to leave the trunk unlocked but closed? Is that a bad idea in terms of the spare tire?

We have purchased watertight pouches for identification, car keys, and a few bucks but we hate to leave the camera in the condo in such a gorgeous place. Suggestions?

Not sure what you mean about arriving at night - most of the Mainland flights into Kahului seem to come in the afternoon. I could most definitely be wrong about that, however.

You say you are coming from NY, so you will have been in the air for a minimum of 10 hours, and likely longer. Between that, and the 5 or 6 hour time change, all you will want to do is to go to sleep. Go with that feeling. Your body will likely have you up at least an hour or two before dawn anyway.

Get a wakeup call for 3 AM and get some sleep. Otherwise, you'll be crashing all day long the next day, and it will affect your vacation in a very negative way. Most of what happens on Maui happens during the daylight hours.

3. Drive to Paia to stay 2 nights- before and after a full day trip on road to Hana

You are changing locations to save 20 minutes.each way???

Snorkeling has been better on the south side ..Kihei, Wailea, Makena the last few days...check the weather site I listed on your other post, on the left click on snorkel dive and surf. Check to see which are has less weather affects..you will be located in between the two areas.

Delta (and probably others) have flights that arrive quite late (my last trip I got in around 9:30, I believe).

Maalaea and Paia just aren't that far apart -- if you don't have to change, I wouldn't. Or try for 6 nights in the condo in Maalaea and a night in Hana somewhere.

For scenic drives, the back side of the Road to Hana is very interesting (lots of debate on whether you should or shouldn't go but I love it). Exploring upcountry is also nice (drive to Haleakala, for example, has awesome views ... also check out the lavender farm in Kula and the winery ... beautiful!)

Lock your car; don't leave anything in plain site. The vast majority of cars aren't broken into. If you are staying "on the beaten path" you'll probably be safe, but thieves will definitely go for easy targets -- where doors aren't locked or they see something they want on the seat.

I take my camera and haven't had problems -- but mine is small. (SLR is too much like luggage.) Can you get a waterproof housing for it or is it just too big to take snorkeling/swimming?

Our Delta flight from LAX will land at about 9:30 PM, then it will take a while to get luggage and car rental. We can and do sleep on planes so we will not have been awake all those hours. In fact, I find it hard to stay awake on flights. If we leave the airport by 10:30 and go to eat (since nothing is served on domestic flights now) we will not finish eating until after midnight. It makes no sense to me to find our way to check into a condo in Maalea only to turn around less than 3 hours later to drive up to Haleakala AND pay for that night in the condo.

As far as why we are switching places to stay from Maalea to Paia, the condo is not available for the last 2 nights we will be in Mauai so we figured we will move to Paia, see another area, stay in a different type of place, and be closer to Hana. We do not mind moving and in fact, often move around rather than returning to one spot through out a trip. WE TRAVEL LIGHT and have learned to take no more than one very moderately sized suitcase plus a daypack per person for trips up to two months long.In view of that, it is no big deal to change locations.

Every Sunday, there is a craft fair at the Lahaina Civic Center but that may be on the day you are leaving (arriving this Sunday). You might find some interesting places in Paia or Makawao to find island made crafts. I like Kalama Village Shopping Center in Kihei. Ask the vendors which items are made in Hawaii, or on Maui.

Ha ha, I travel light too. I'm sure I could carry on for a month-long trip. But somehow on about the 2nd day everything I own is strewn about the room and packing (and therefore moving) is a hassle! :)

Maluaka is pretty almost anytime you are there. Tradewinds pick up in the afternoon at any of the beaches on that side of the island. I would suggest swimming or snorkeling in the mornings and crafting in the afternoon.

You have a good chance of seeing turtles there (at south end)

We were married there 5 years ago.

Are you experienced mountain drivers?

After such a long flight, it would be the last thing I would do by exploring a new mountain road in the dark. You are going to ascend 10,000 feet from the airport at sea level. It get's very cold up there so if you plan on sleeping in your car, take lot's of heavy clothes and a tank ful of gas :)

The park is open 24 hours a day so assume that there will be a ranger in the entrance shack to take your admission. The visitor center and headquarters are closed until early morning. That, by the way will be your last chance for flush toilets. The summit house will probably be unlocked and heated but nowhere to sit other than the floor.

By all means, always lock your car with nothing in view and park in areas with other cars.

I am not sure about your condo, but we always stay in condo's on Maui and never have one problem with security, leaving camera's , laptop computer, etc in the room as we need to. (Of course, our rooms are never on the ground floor)

Another drive that we enjoy is the drive around Maui's head (look at the map for the image of a woman). Leaving Kapalua, drive to Wailuku. Some pretty vistas. The road get's a little narrow in places so the reason to travel that direction. You will be on the mountain side, not the cliff side of the road.